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:(No Model.)

B. P. NBEDHAM. Mechanical Musical Instrument. No. 238,146. Patented Feb.22,1881,

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELIAS P. NEEDHAM, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO E. P. NEEDHAM & SON,OF SAME PLACE.

M ECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUM ENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 238,146, dated February22, 1881.

Application filed June 4, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIAS P. NEEDHAM, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in MusicalInstruments, of which the following is a'specification.

My invention relates to that class of musical instruments which havemanual key-boards and are known as reed and pipe organs and pianos.

The object of my invention is to combine with such instruments, andwithout interfering in any way with the most approved features ofconstruction and arrangement, a second series of sound-producingdevices, and mechanism for operating them mechanically, so that eitherset of sound-producing devices may be operated separately, or so thatboth may be operated together, and a greater ran ge of notes can beplayed at one time than is possible for a manual performer alone.

To this end my invention consists, essentially, in a musical instrumentcomprising a set of sound-producing devices, means for operatingthesame, a music card or tablet for controlling their operation, and means,operated by the player, for producing the feed of said music card ortablet, another set of soundproducing devices, means for operating them,and a manual key-board for controlling their operation, all combined andorganized so thateither series may be operated separately or both seriesoperated together.

In a piano the means for operating the sound-producin g devices willconsist of hammers; but in a reed or pipe organ these means will consistof devices for inducing air to the reeds or pipes.

In order to economize space in the instrument, the mechanicalsound-producing devices and the operating mechanism therefor may bearranged above or behind the manual keyboard and behind the stop-bar inthe space generally vacant in an ordinary organ.

Other improvements consist in details of construction and combinationsof parts hereinafter specified.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a partially-sectionalview of a combined manual and mechanical musical instrutravelingmusic-sheet.

(N0 model.)

ment embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal section,through a certain portion of the mechanism, for operating the mechanicalportion of the instrument; and Fig. 3 represents a modification of myinvention, in which a separate wind-chest is employed for each set ofsound-producin g devices.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in bothfigures.

A designates the sound-producing devices, which are to be operated orcontrolled manually, and which, as shown, consist of reeds arranged incells a, and controlled in their operation by pallet-valves I). Thesemay be called the manual sound-producing devices.

B designates valves by which the reed-cells are opened or closed, andwhich may be raised to open the cells draw-pull, 0, operating a pivotedlever, gZ-(to which the said valves are connected by connections a.

O designates a wind-chest, of which a portion is only shown, which iskept in constant communication with the reeds A, and which is suppliedwith or exhausted of air by means of a suitable bellows and treadle, orother means.

D designates manual keys of the usual form, which act upon the push-pinsf, and through them open the pallet-valves b and cause the feeds tospeak. These parts are all similar to organs commonly in use, andtherefore a more extended description thereof is not necessary.

In the upper part of the instrument, above the manual keys and behindthe stop-bar E, are arranged a series of separate sound-producin gdevices, and mechanism for controlling their operation through themovement of a These sound-producing devices are shown as consisting ofordinary reeds, g, arranged in cells h, which communicate, by means of aduct or trunk, F, with the common wind-chest C, under control, however,of a valve, G, which is connected to a draw-pull, G, by which it may beopened when it is desired to operate the instrument mechanically. Theselatter may be called the mechanical sound-producin g devices.

The board or frame H, in which are the reedcells h, is so constructed asto form a seat or rest for a music card or tablet, in this instanceconsisting of a traveling perforated musicsheet, I, by which theadmission of air to the reeds g is controlled, and which, therefore,controls the operation of the sound-producin g devices.

J designates the main driving-shaft of the instrument, which may beoperated through a connecting rod or rods, J, and crank or cranks J J 3designates a fiy-wheel upon the end of the driving-shaft, whereby therequired momentum is obtained to give the shaft a steady motion.

K designates a roller, from which the musicsheet I is drawn, and fromwhich it passes over the reed-board H, and thence to the take-up rollerL, upon which it is wound after passing over the reed-board.

Upon the driving-shaft Jis a pulley or wheel, 1', and upon the take-uproller is a pulley, M, of larger size.

N designates an idler or friction-wheel for transmitting motion from thepulley ion the driving-shaft to the pulley M and the take-up roller L,and certain of these pulleys may be covered with india-rubber, toincrease the friction of their bearing-surfaces. When the rewinding ofthe music-sheet upon the musicroller is to be effected, thefriction-wheel N is to be removed from contact with the pulleys i and M,so as to permit the music-sheet to be freely unwound from the take-uproller L onto the music-roller K. To effect this the frictionwheel N ismounted in hearings in a block, 0, pivoted at 7c to the frame of theinstrument, and when desired the said friction-wheel can be raised outof contact with the pulleys i and M by a draw-pull, P, which has upon itan incline, 1, bearing upon the under side of the bearing-block O.

The music-roller K is provided with a pulley, K, which is rotated bycontact with the flywheel J and the roller is supported at one end in ahinged bearing, Q, pivoted at m to the frame of the instrument; and Qdesignates a draw-pull carrying an incline, n, for depressing saidbearing to move the pulley K out of contact with the fly-wheel J When itis desired to operate the mechanical sound-producing devices, thedraw-pull P is operated to permit of the spring 0 moving thefriction-wheel N into engagement with the pulleys i and M, and thedraw-pull Q is operated to move the pulley K out of engagement with thefly-wheel J but when the music-sheet is to be rewound the draw-pulls'areoperated in a reverse direction.

Although the wind-chest O is here shown as in communication with bothseries of soundproducing devices, it might be connected only with themanual sound-producing devices, as shown in Fig. 8, and in such case aseparate wind-chest, S, is employed to induce air for the operation ofthe mechanical sound-producing devices. The wind-chest S has combinedwith it a bellows, T, which is operated by the same treadle, U, which isemployed in connection with the wind-chest O, the bellows T beingconnected with said treadle by a lever, V, pivoted at 8.

Although the mechanical sound-producing devices are here shown asarranged above the level of the manual key-board, they might, ifdesired, be arranged behind the latter, they being in all cases in thespace not ordinarily occupied by the manual action, and preferablybehind the plane of the stop-bar.

By my invention I providean instrument which is not larger than aninstrument employing the same manual sounrlnoducin g devices only, andwhich provides for a much greater range or compass than the ordinarymanual instruments, inasmuch as the mechanical sound-producin g devicesmay be operated with manual action. Notonly do I provide an instrumentin which two sets of sound-producing devices may be operated separatelyor together, thus making a manual instrument a mechanical instrument, ora combined manual and mechanical instrument, but, inasmuch as the meansfor supplying wind to operate the wind-instrument, and for feeding themusic card or tablet, are all controlled and operated by the player, awide range of expression can be obtained.

WVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

1. A musical instrument comprising a set of sound-producing devices,means for operating them, a music card or tablet for controlling theiroperation, and means, to be operated by the player, for producing thefeed of said music card or tablet, another set of sound-producingdevices, means for actuating them, and a manual key-board forcontrolling their operation, all combined and organized so that the setsof sound-producing devices may be operated separately or both together,substantially as specified.

2. Amusical instrument comprising a set of sound-producing devices,means for operatin g them, and a music card or tablet for controllingtheir operation, a set of wind soundproducing devices, means forinducing air to them, a manual key-board for controlling theiroperation, and means, to be operated by the player, for producing thefeed of said music card or tablet, and for inducing wind for theoperation of the set of wind sound-producing devices, all combined andorganized so that the sets of sound-producin g devices can be :playedseparately orboth together, substantially as specified.

3. A musical instrument comprising a series of sound-producin g devicesand a manual keyboard for controlling their operation, a second seriesof sound-producing devices and a music card or tablet for controllingtheir operation,

ITO-

and a common wind-chest communicating with both series of soundproducingdevices, all combined and organized so that the series ofsound-producing devices can be played separately or together,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination, in a musical instrument, with a series ofsound-producing devices and a manual key-board for controlling theiroperation, of a second series of sound-producing devices and a musiccard or tablet for controlling their operation, a common Wind-chestcommunicating directly with the sound-produein g devices controlled bythe key-board, and a valve for controlling the communication betweensaid Wind-chest and the sound-producing devices controlled by the musiccard or tablet, substantially as specified.

5. The combination, in amusical instrument, with a series ofsound-producing devices and a manual key-board for controlling theiroperation, of a second series of sound-producin g devices, a music cardor tablet for controlling the operation of the last said series ofsoundproducing devices, a music-roller and a takeup roller for saidmusic card or tablet, and a 20 driving-shaft for operating the same, allarranged above the level of the manual key-board and behind the plane ofthe stop-bar of the instrument, and all organized so that the series ofsound-producin g devices may be operated separately or together,substantially as specified.

6. The combination of the driving-shaft J, provided with a pulley, i,the take-up roller L, provided with a pulley, M, the friction-wheel N,supported in the hinged bearing-block O, and a draw-pull, P, foractuating said bearingblock, substantially as specified.

ELIAS P. NEEDHAM.

Witnesses (J. A. NEEDHAM, O. H. HEWLETT.

